Leading By Example
by ilovetvalot
Summary: When Reid makes a dangerous decision while working on a case, Rossi has an unexpected reaction. TWOSHOT
1. Chapter 1

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* * *

**Leading By Example**

**Chapter One**

It had been three days. Three days of complete and utterly cold silence, Spencer Reid thought as he dimmed the lights in the BAU's bullpen and looked longingly toward the upstairs office. Wincing as his left arm jostled in the blue sling, he glared down at the appendage.

Stupid bullet.

It had been an accident, getting winged by their unsub. Morgan was right; Reid had ducked when he should have weaved. At least his bald colleague could see the humor in the situation. No one else had seemed to.

Garcia, JJ and Emily had clucked over him like mother hens, chastising him for his foolish bravery while simultaneously trying to nurse him back to health. Hotch's jaw still tightened when he looked at Reid's injured arm...he'd made that condemning head shake into an art form. But, when it came to the man he most wanted to respond in some small way...David Rossi had only been icily silent, barely looking on him. And when he did, Reid could swear there was contempt in Rossi's gaze.

It couldn't go on. Sooner or later, and he had no doubt it would be later if Rossi had any say in the matter, they were going to be partnered together again. And the kind of resentment the other man appeared to be harboring could be more detrimental than any so-called foolish stunt he might be accused of.

It couldn't continue. And it was obvious that the elder profiler wasn't going to approach him. Therefore, his options were limited. With a heavy heart, he headed toward the metal staircase, silently dreading what was almost guaranteed to be an ugly confrontation. His sneakers slapped against the steel steps as his fingers tightened around the banister. Reminding himself that his intentions had been noble three days prior, he mentally prepared himself for Rossi's acerbic tongue.

Rapping lightly on the thick wooden door, Reid leaned slightly to the left, peering in past the blinds to Dave's dimmed office. Grimacing as he heard Rossi's gruff voice bid, "Enter!", Reid reluctantly twisted the metal doorknob and forced himself to walk into the din of the lion.

"Agent Rossi?" Reid's hesitant voice queried when the elder man didn't look up from the file he was studiously leaned over. Watching as Rossi stiffened, recognition of the soft voice etched on his tight face, Reid mentally groaned. This was going to be as pleasant as reading one of Sigmund Freud's misguided psychiatric analyses.

"What?" Dave snapped coldly, not looking up from the reports spread before him. Damn it, he thought irritably with himself, he couldn't seem to control his ire at the kid. No, he amended quickly, this was not a kid but a fully qualified agent that had taken an unnecessary risk with his life three days ago, thus getting himself shot in the fucking process. He could still hear the bullet whizzing past him to connect with Dr. Spencer Reid's body. Hadn't he told the kid to stay behind him?

"I need to talk to you, sir," Reid said bravely, hoping desperately that this conversation wouldn't be his last act of courage.

He had to admire the kid's fortitude, Rossi admitted silently to himself as he finally lifted his gaze and narrowed it on the lanky youth standing in front of his desk. The doc had balls; he'd give him that much. "So speak," Dave invited roughly, raising a dark brow as he wordlessly dared the other man to say something of interest to him.

Shifting nervously on his feet under the weight of the renowned agent's scrutiny, Reid stammered, "I...uhmmm...I feel like I need to apologize to you, but I'm not exactly sure what I should be making amends for."

Now, that cut it, Rossi thought angrily. The supposed genius standing there staring him down wasn't even smart enough to figure out why he was pissed? Taking a deep breath, Rossi's eyes gleamed in the dull light produced by his desk lamp. "How about disobeying the direct order of a superior, Dr. Reid? Does that sound reasonable?"

"But you aren't my superior," Reid blurted without thinking, immediately regretting his response. Waving his uninjured hand in the air, he sputtered, "I mean..."

"Technically, no, I'm not," Dave cut him off, his words bit out with far more power than any bullet that had ever been aimed at the younger man, "But, I think that about a lifetime more experience in the field than you qualifies me as your superior, wouldn't you? And when somebody older and wiser tells you to stay the fuck down, _Doctor,_" Rossi sneered, emphasizing the title, "you fucking do it."

"Agent Rossi," Reid said quickly, taking an involuntary step forward as he realized just how badly he'd offended the other man, "Let me..."

Rising from behind his desk, Dave faced Reid squarely across the polished surface. "No," Dave replied dangerously, "YOU let me, Doctor. You may doubt my superiority. Fine. But I wouldn't make the mistake of doubting my knowledge on unsubs. You got lucky, Reid. Damned lucky. You took a bullet in the arm this time. But what about the next time?"

"The unsub needed to be distracted, sir. I wasn't trying to make myself a target deliberately. But can you deny that if there was a choice between an unsub taking a shot at you or the victim he was holding hostage, that you wouldn't choose yourself?"

"We're not talking about me, Reid!" Dave exploded, his brow furrowing tightly. "We're talking about the young, inexperienced know-it-all that almost got himself killed on my watch!"

"I'm not your responsibility," Reid denied, flushing.

"Who the fuck told you that bullshit?" Rossi asked harshly. Snapping his fingers, he growled, "Oh, that's right. You were the Lone Wolf's protégée."

"Excuse me?" Reid asked, stiffening as he heard David Rossi's unspoken condemnation for his former mentor, Jason Gideon.

"You heard me," Dave replied, seething with a boiling rage at the egomaniac that was Jason Gideon. "Maybe nobody else will say it to you, Kid, but, Jason Gideon seriously fucked you up."

"Agent Gideon has nothing to do with this," Reid denied immediately, his shoulder stiffening underneath his sweater vest.

"The hell he doesn't," Rossi snapped, rolling his eyes. "I worked with Jason for a lot of years, Reid. I know just exactly what he probably taught you about personal responsibilities. Let me guess," Rossi said, holding up a finger when Reid opened his mouth. "It went something like this: A man must make his own choices...take his own risks when he deems it appropriate. You'll know in the moment the choice you need to make...Tell me, Doctor Reid, am I close?" Dave smirked, the answer to his question written all over Reid's face.

"Y-yes," Reid replied, unsure now, his earlier denials no longer seeming to be the certainty they had once been.

"Thought so," Rossi muttered, experiencing a dark pang of satisfaction in being right. "Like I said...he fucked you up, kid."

"Okay, if his way was so wrong, what's your theory?" Reid asked, no malice in his voice, truly interested in the older man's opinion.

"Now you're interested in my theories?" Rossi asked sarcastically, pushing his hands into his pockets as he leaned a hip against his desk.

"Would you please refrain from mocking me and simply answer the question," Reid requested with quiet dignity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: First of all, we have exciting news, my friends! Nominating ballots for "The Profiler's Choice Awards" are ready and waiting for you at the "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. So please, everyone, come on over and name some of your favorite fics and authors. Lets honor our favorite stories and authors on the CM site! We want to hear from you. Rules and guidelines are also available at the forum and as always, tonnie2001969 and I would be delighted to answer any questions that you may have. Now, let's get nominating! Our first ballots are beginning to trickle in and we love hearing from each of you! **

**For anyone willing to help us advertise the awards, we've created a short author's note template available on both my profile page (ilovetvalot) and my co-author's (tonnie2001969). We'd love to have everybody's help making this venture a huge and fun success. Please feel free to copy and paste it into your own author's notes and/or profiles! With your help, I believe this can become an annual event that we ALL look forward to seeing. I hope that you're all as eager as I am to see this incredible project lift off. And a very **_**BIG**_** thanks to all the authors helping us advertise these awards! We truly appreciate any assistance you can provide.**

**Also, we wanted to take a second to thank everyone that continues to read, review, favorite and alert our stories. Writing is a pleasure, but you guys, you make it worthwhile!**

**And please, fellow authors and readers, don't forget to get out there and nominate your favorite authors and stories. We're excited to hear from you!**

* * *

**Leading By Example**

**Chapter Two**

Sighing heavily as he noticed the hurt shining in Reid's expressive eyes, Dave nodded. "Sorry," he apologized grudgingly, the unaccustomed word stiff on his tongue. "Gideon and I never saw eye to eye on much, Reid."

"So I've gathered," Reid said faintly, holding himself still under the weight of the older man's gaze.

"Look, Reid, my philosophy is simple. You go into the field every time like it might be the last. And you guard your partner's back like it's the only thing that matters. And if you do that, you should both walk away relatively unscathed. At least, that's been my experience and it's worked out pretty well. I know I shouldn't blame you. Gideon walked away and left a half-formed agent in the making. That was his screw-up. Not yours."

"You left the Bureau, too," Reid replied softly, the correlation coming quickly in his suddenly confused mind.

"I did," Rossi nodded, not denying the calmly spoken statement. "But I damn sure didn't just up and cut bait without making sure the kid I was mentoring was fully capable of taking care of himself. And, let's face it, Reid. You might be brilliant, but you still have a lot left to learn when it comes to the practicalities of being an agent."

"I never said..."

"No, you never said anything. But somebody has to disabuse you of a few notions. Jason Gideon was just as brilliant as you are. But, look what happened to him," Dave said, gesturing toward his door with one hand. "He broke under the strain because of his inability to depend on the people around him. Because he couldn't put his faith in anyone other than himself. Is that what you want for yourself?"

"Of course not," Reid frowned, his bottom lip twitching. "But, I still don't think..."

"That's right, Reid. You DIDN'T think. You didn't pause and analyze why I told you to stay behind me. Do you want to know why? It was because I'm the better shot. But when you moved, you blocked that shot and you could have gotten yourself hurt a lot worse than a bullet in the arm," Dave said tightly.

"And that would have mattered to you?" Reid asked, the words escaping before he could call them back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dave asked, cocking his head as he stared down the younger man.

"It's been blatantly obvious since you rejoined the BAU that you have very little use for someone like me, Agent Rossi," Reid muttered, dropping his gaze to the floor, unable to face that piercing stare.

Well, hell, he'd never meant for the kid to feel THAT way. But, damn, he wasn't used to a twenty something year old kid outthinking him on a regular basis. And the reality had stung more than he cared to admit. Honestly, there were moments where Spencer Reid's presence on the team made him feel like a dinosaur. But that was his problem…not the man standing in front of him.

"Look, Reid," Dave sighed, scrubbing a hand over his jaw, "it's nothing personal. Standing next to you in the field, I feel like the old man I'm becoming. My feelings have nothing to do with you on a personal level despite how it may have seemed."

"But you're a legend," Reid countered, raising his head slowly, his forehead furrowing as he tried to process Rossi's explanation.

"Even legends are allowed to feel old, Reid," Dave replied uncomfortably. "The truth is, I admire you. Your mind works faster than any I've ever seen. And quite frankly, you're one of the Bureau's brightest shining stars. But," he stressed, "you've got to hone and sharpen your practical skills before you can truly soar."

"I see," Reid stated softly, blinking as he stared at the older man.

"No, you don't," Dave said wearily. Focusing his penetrating gaze on Reid's less than relaxed face, he said, "Reid, Jason Gideon and I were cast from two very different dies. He was an intellectual that analyzed every move he made, good or bad. I'm not saying he was wrong. He was just as effective as I was. But, his...hesitance...it cost him a lot. My purpose is simple. Find the bad guy. Stop the bad guy. By any means necessary. I don't care if I ever understand the bad guy's motivations. I just want the son of a bitch off the street. I'm a hell of a lot more in your face than Jason Gideon ever thought about being. But, what I can promise you is that you'll always know where I stand. I won't lie to you. I won't desert you. And I won't leave a fucking letter to say goodbye."

"There really aren't any secrets that you aren't aware of, are there?" Reid asked, swallowing tightly as memories of that dark night in Gideon's cabin once again came to mind.

"I make it a point to know about the people guarding my back, Reid," Dave replied without regret. "I won't apologize for that. But, on the other hand, I am sorry you got a raw deal with your previous mentor."

"He wasn't all bad, you know," Reid stated quietly, some part of him needing to defend the man he'd once held in the highest esteem.

"Most human beings aren't entirely one thing, Reid. We're each a combination of good and evil, right and wrong...but each man must decide for himself what percentage of each he's going to be. And, I've got no doubt that Gideon taught you some valuable lessons."

"I suppose so," Reid agreed. Tilting his head to the side, he said, slowly, "I'm sorry for taking a risk with not only my life, but yours as well, Agent Rossi. I see my error now and I'll endeavor to never repeat it. However, I feel the need to point out that we all have to make split second decisions occasionally. And, this was one that I did feel, at the time, was necessary."

"I can accept that," Rossi shrugged, not entirely satisfied. But, progress was progress, after all.

"Are we okay now, sir?" Reid asked, looking for some sign of forgiveness in the hard man ahead of him.

"We will be, Reid," Dave replied evenly, nodding once as he watched the young man's eyes darken for a moment, his mind attempting to process the entire conversation.

Nodding, Reid backed away from the desk. "Okay. Thank you for seeing me, Agent Rossi. I learned a great deal today."

"No more than I," Dave nodded, watching as Reid slowly slipped out of his office.

And as Spencer Reid calmly gathered his jacket and keys from his desk, he took one last glance at the office above. In that second, he realized that it just might be possible that David Rossi would be an even better example than any that Jason Gideon could ever provide.

_**finis**_


End file.
